Master Apprentice Archive Forgiving Quick search:

Archive: MA, or ask me

Category: Parody

Rating: PG

Warnings: Weak attempt at humour

Summary: Inspired by the final scenes in ROTJ.

Disclaimer: George's characters, not mine.

Feedback: Yes please

Note: As always, I am very grateful to Bonny the Expert Beta, and Cuimne the Master ? she says I'm a Senior Padawan now! (Any howlers remaining are mine.)

Another Note: The first paragraph is a quotation from "Star Wars - The Visual Dictionary".

Through the Force, Luke Skywalker is able to see his mentors Yoda and Obi-Wan, as well as his father Anakin, all finally at peace due to Luke's heroic efforts. United in the Force, their Jedi spirits are restored and complete.

Anakin Skywalker smiled sweetly at his former master, the new-found serenity reflected in his restored face . "It feels nice to be able to talk and not to have to wear that breather any longer," he said and stretched comfortably.

The little old master between the two spectral humans nodded wisely. "Nice to see you back to normal, it is. Forgiven, all your transgression are."

"Thank you, Master Yoda." Anakin bowed formally, still smiling.

"Just a minute," Obi-Wan said lightly, though the tell-tale crease between his brows had appeared. "Forgiven? All?"

"The way it should be, this is. The way of the Force. Joined with the Force and absolved of all mortal wrong-doing is your former apprentice."

"Well that's a bit rich."

"Master?" Anakin asked, the beatific smile never slipping.

"We're talking about Darth Vader here." Obi-Wan spoke to the small, glowing Yoda. "I mean, it's not just a few wrong-doings. He's been a Sith-spawned bastard for years..."

A luminous gimer stick contacted with Obi-Wan's shin. "Jedi you are. The way it should be, this is. Turned back to the light by his own son, Skywalker was."

"Yes," the bearded master reluctantly agreed. "But that's it then? That's all there is to it? I've sweated my backside off on that dust ball of a planet for donkey's years, while he's been swanning around in basic black getting his own way, torturing and destroying..." Obi-Wan was becoming agitated.

Anakin's smile didn't slip, but he managed to look concerned. He was clearly enjoying using facial expressions again. "I really am sorry for, well, everything Master."

"I'm so glad." Obi-Wan folded his arms in his ghostly robe and stared through the spectral mist to see Anakin's children and their friends celebrate their victory.

"I can see that what I did was wrong," Anakin continued. "The destruction..." The smile had slipped just a little and he managed to look a bit embarrassed. "Well, I mean, it was wrong. And the killings and such."

"Destroying an entire planet, don't forget. Including my... friend..." Obi-Wan choked a little as the memory of that loss returned.

"What friend? I didn't know you had a friend on Alderaan."

"Never mind," Obi-Wan muttered.

"Forgiven, he is," Master Yoda interrupted. "No use going over the past. The way of the Force, it is. One with the Force, we are." Yoda's smile matched that of the reformed Sith.

"Right. So where's my master?"

Right on cue, a familiar voice range out. "Padawan!"

Obi-Wan turned hopefully, but the ghostly blue figure of Qui-Gon Jinn floated past him to embrace Anakin.

"Master Qui-Gon! It's so good to see you again." They hugged each other lovingly for a long time. Obi-Wan cleared his ghostly throat.

"Obi-Wan. There you are." Qui-Gon turned and smiled. Yes, it was a very familiar joined-with-the-Force smile.

"Master? I've waited such a long time to... To tell you..."

"And Master Yoda! My Grandmaster! You're looking well for your age."

"When seven hundred years old you are…" Yoda began.

But Qui-Gon had turned back to Anakin. "You really weren't very good, you know. I hope you're really sorry."

Anakin ducked his head in proper penitence. "Oh I am, Master Qui- Gon. Really."

They smiled at each other and embraced again. This time they kissed. It was not a chaste master-greeting-student kiss, Obi-Wan noted. There appeared to be considerable tongue involvement.

"Shouldn't you be, you know, off looking for Amidala somewhere?" Obi-Wan suggested.

"Oh I'm fine here with you all." His eyes never left Qui-Gon's. They were about to fall into each other's arms and kiss again when they were pulled apart by an increasingly ruffled Obi-Wan.

"Just a minute! Qui-Gon, you were my master. You made me promise..."

"And a total mess you made of that, Padawan." Qui-Gon's smile had slipped slightly. "The boy had such potential."

"Oh it's all my fault? I'm not the one who murdered his wife, who sided with the Sith, who killed his own master – killed me by the way, who blew up a planet..."

"You really are going on a bit about that planet thing, Master," Anakin said. "That wasn't just me, you know."

Obi-Wan looked ready to thump his former apprentice. Brows knitted together in a thunderous expression, his reply was forestalled by another voice.

"There you all are!" The newcomer joined the small groups of blue ghosts. "It's good to see you back on the side of the light again without all that, you know..."

"Master Windu!" Anakin was now embraced by two Jedi masters at once, and if Yoda could have reached them, he would have joined in too. He contented himself with smiling happily and muttering, "Forgiven. Yes, as it should be."

Obi-Wan sat down heavily on a rock. "It just doesn't seem fair," he muttered to himself.

"Fair?" Yoda looked at him. "Of course it's not fair. But the way of the F…"

"Don't say it!" Obi-Wan said through gritted teeth. "It's been fine for you. You've been happy as a pig in shit out there in your mud hole." He was about to add more, but the words of his former apprentice carried through from the group hug that was still going on.

"I've always loved you, Qui-Gon. I always hoped you would wait for me."

"Just a minute there," Obi-Wan shouted standing again suddenly, pleasantly surprised at the lack of protest in his muscles and ache in his bones at such a movement. "I'm supposed to say that!"

Mace had stepped back a little to give the entwined couple room. Anakin's head was on Qui-Gon's shoulder as he smiled up at the Jedi master, held in a warm embrace.

"I mean, you're in love with Amidala. Aren't you?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Not really, Master. That was something of a teenage infatuation."

"And I've watched the young boy grow into a fine man," Qui-Gon said.

"Fine? Fine? He's a fucking mass-murderer! How fine is that?"

"Not the planet thing again."

This time Obi-Wan actually did take a swing at the rehabilitated former monster. He was stopped by the Qui-Gon and Mace. Yoda helped by grabbing his leg.

"All right, all right," Obi-Wan shook his head and retreated. "I'm leaving." He turned and started floating away.

"Obi-Wan? Where are you going?" Qui-Gon asked, his arm slipping once more around his grandpadawan's shoulders.

"To find Palpatine." He was out of hearing distance so they didn't hear him add, "I'm changing sides. At least he won't have that bloody smile! And perhaps I can finally get laid." After all, apparently anything could be forgiven when you were one with the Force.